blinkard 
689 
II. intrant. To be in heat, as a ewe. 
In some parts we sec many glorious nnd eminent stars, 
in others few of any ivinnrkulilc ureatness, and, in some, 
none but Mnb.nl. and otacnr. .,nL OKy , p. 237. BliSSUS (blis'us), n. [NL.] A genus of lift- 
3. One who lacks intellectual perception. Skel- eropterous insects, the type of the_subfn,ly 
<on. 4. ()no who wilfully shuts his eyes to 
what is happening; one who blinks facts. 
[Sometimes used attributively.] 
blink-beer (blingk'ber), M. [< blink, v., I., 6, + 
IH-I-I-. ] Beer kept unbroached (ill it is sharp. 
blinker (blin^'ker), H. 1. One who blinks. 2. 
blithesome 
larger than peas, others u much u an MM h In <l!ametr. 
ling to Percy, theme blisters are probably due to the 
r, an.tion of 11 part of the protoxid uf Iron existing In 
the mass In the form of a silicate of the protoxld, and the 
consequent i-ic.luii ( r;irl>ni<- c.xld. The proccw ls a 
very old one. 
blistery (blis'tt-r-i), a. [< blister -f -yl.] Full 
of blisters. Hooker. 
tad with lii* club him nil about so NHL 
That he which way to turne him scarcely wist 
Spenser, F. Q., VI. viiL 13. 
a horse's head to prevent him from seein 
sidewise or backward ; a blind or blinder ; 
hence, figuratively, any obstruction to sight or 
discernment. 
Nor bigots who but one way see, 
Through blinkers of authority. 
M. Oreen, The Grotto. 
Horses splashed to their very Winter*. Dickens. 
blink-eyed (blingk'id), a. Having blinking or 
winking eyes. 
The foolish Mink-eyed boy. Qatcmgne, Hearbea. 
blinking (bling'king), n. In sporting, the fault 
in dogs of leaving the game as soon as it is 
found. 
The vice of blinking has been caused by over-severity In 
punishment for chasing poultry, etc. 
Days o.f Great Britain and America, p. 240. 
blinking-duckweed (blhiK'king-chik'wed), n. 
The Montia fontana, a small marsh-herb, natu- 
ral order PortulacacecB : so called from its small 
half-closed flowers looking out from the axils 
of the leaves. Also called blinks. 
blinkingly (bling'king-li), a<J>. In a blinking 
or winking manner; evasively. 
Death, that fatal necessity which so many would over- 
look, or Minkinglji survey, the old Egyptians held con- 
tinually before their eyes. Sir T. Browne, Mummies. 
blinks (blingks), n. [< blink, n. ; a quasi-plural 
form.] Same as blinking-chickweed. 
blinky(bling'ki), a. [< blink + -y 1 .] Prone to 
blink. 
We were just within range, and one's eyes became quite 
mon name of several succulent-leafed plants, 
chiefly of the genus Chenoiodium (or Blitum), 
BlisxiiKi'. B. leucopterus is the common chinch- 
bug. See cut under chinch-bug. 
blistt. Obsolete preterit of bless* and bless*. 
Dlltt, 'I. 
bliteH, . See blight. 
blite a (blit), n. [Also blit and early mod. E. 
linker (bling'ker), M. 1. One wtioDlinKs. tf. , ,. . ,,,. , t ,, x , Sarlv m o bins- Mitte, bleit, blete ; < F. blette = Pr. bledn = Cat. 
UuTof two leather flaps placed on the sides of Vjffif,^ $ ^ b tofe and ^perhaps 'blystel, blet = Sp. bledo,<l..bUtum: seeBKfum.J Acom- 
o ,/,' l,Arl t.n nrPVBnt, him from seeinc < A S. *Wy*W = MD. Muysfrr, a blister (but the 
AS. form is not found, and the ME. may be 
taken from OF. blestre, blostre, a swelling (cf. 
bloustre, bloutre, blotte, a clod, blosse, a, swelling 
due to a bruise), of MD. or Scand. origin) ; of. 
Icel. bldstr, a swelling (in the medical sense), 
lit. a blast, a blowing, = AS. blaist, a blowing, 
blast; cf. bladre, a blister, bladder, etc B. ,,. 
blaas, G. blase, a bbster,^ etc., E. dial. buu*P, blithe (bliTH or blith), o. and it. 
n., a pimple, etc. ; ult. 
bid wan, etc., blow: see 
blow 1 .] 1. A thin vesicle on tne SKin, con- compositio_ 
taining watery matter or serum, whether oc- _ D_ bujd et ftKi = &HG." blidi, MHG. blide = 
casioned by a burn or other injury, by a vesi- j ce ) O ndi,r = Sw. blid = Dan. blid = Goth. 
catory, or by disease ; a pustule. It is formed () bleiths 
by disintegration and effusion of serum into some of the ,,;,. -, 
'Blitum. The strawberry-blite, I 
am capitatum, Is so called from its red fleshy clusters of 
fruit The coast-bllte, C. maritimum, Is found in saline 
localities. The sea-bllte, Sitada marilima, Is m chcno- 
podlaceoiu coast-plant with nearly terete or cylindrical 
fleshy leaves. 
dlithe (bliTH or blith), o. and it. [< ME. blithe. 
t. from the root of AS. bliithe, < AS. blithe, joyful, glad, kind, gentle, 
ee bladder, blast, blaze*, peaceful, = OS. blithi = OFries. 'blide (in 
aside on the skin, con- composition blid-skip.joy), North Fries. Mi<l 
softer epidermal layers, or (b) by an effusion of serum be- 
tween tne epidermis and corium. 
2. An elevation made by the lifting up of an 
external film or skin by confined air or fluid, 
as on plants, or by the swelling of the sub- 
stance at the surface, as on steel. 3. Some- 
thing applied to the skin to raise a blister, as 
a plaster of Spanish flies, mustard, etc., as a 
means of counter-irritation ; a vesicatory. 4. 
In castings of different materials, an effect 
caused by the presence of confined bubbles of 
air or gas. o. A distortion of peach-leaves 
causedby the fungus Exoascus deformans; blad- 
der-blight. See Exoascus. Also called blister- 
ing. Flying blister, a blister applied for a time too 
.. v .. M j. -, , -. - short to cause vesication. 
Minky watching for the flash from the bow. blister (blis'ttr), V. [< blister, II.] I. trans. I. 
W. H. Russell, London Times, June 11, 1861. Tn rn -.A _ hlist ' o - blister s on. as bv a burn, 
blirt (blert), 11. [A var. of blurt.] An outburst 
of wind, rain, or tears; specifically, naut., a 
gust of wind and rain. [Scotch.] 
blirty, blirtie (bler'ti), a. [< blirt + -yi.] 
Characterized by blirts or gusts of wind and 
rain: as, a blirty day. [Scotch.] 
bliss (blis), n. [< ME. Mis, blisse, < AS. blis. bliss, 
contr. of the unusual blids, blitte (= OS. blidsea, 
btitzea, Wizza), joy, < blithe, joyful, blithe : see 
blithe, and cf. bless 1 , with which the word has 
been notionally associated.] 1. Blitheness; 
gladness; lightness of heart. 2. The highest 
degree of happiness, especially spiritual joy; 
perfect felicity ; supremo delight; blessedness: 
often, specifically, the joy of heaven. 
How sweet a thing it Is to wear a crown, 
Within whose circuit Is Elysium, 
And all that poets feign of Wi and Joy. 
Shat., 3 Hen. VI., i. 2. 
All my redeem'd may dwell in joy and blitt. 
Milton, P. L., xi. 43. 
=Syn. Felicity, Blessedness, etc. (see happineti), trans- 
port, rapture, ecstasy, hlissfulness. 
blissful (blis'fiil), a. [< ME. blisful; < bliss + 
-ful.] 1. Full of, abounding in, enjoying, or 
conferring bliss; full of felicity: as, "blissful 
joy." Siienser, F. Q. ; " blissful solitude," Milton, 
P. L, lii. 69. 
The bliisful shore of rural ease. 
Thornton, Liberty, v. 
Ever as those blissful creatures do I fare. 
Wordsworth. 
2t. [Cf. blessfuL] Blessed; holy. 
blissfully (bfis'ful-i), adv. [< ME. blissfuliche, 
etc., < blisfitl + -lithe, -ly 2 .] In a blissful man- 
ner; happily. 
blissfulness (blis'ful-ues), n. [< ME. blisful- 
, -<vw< , < hli.ifnl + -if", -ness.) The stale 
To raise a blister or blisters on, as by a burn, 
medical application, or friction: as, to blister 
one's hands. 2. To raise filmy vesicles on by 
heat: as, too high a temperature will blister 
paint; blistered steel. See blister-steel. 3. Fig- 
uratively, to cause to suffer as if from blisters ; 
subject to burning shame or disgrace. 
Look, here conies one : a gentlewoman of mine, 
Who, falling in the flaws of her own youth, 
Hath blistefd her report Shak., M. for M., 11. 3. 
II. intrans. To rise in blisters, or become 
blistered. 
If I prove honey-mouth'd, let my tongue Muter, 
Shot., W. T., ii. i 
The house walls seemed 
Blistering in the sun, without a tree or vine 
To cast the tremulous shadow of Its leaves. 
Whittier, Prel. to Among the HilU. 
blister-beetle (blis'ter-be'tl), n. A popular 
name of beetles of the family Metoida, de- 
rived from the pecu- 
liar poison (canthar- 
idin) which is con- 
tained in their tis- 
sues. This poison, when 
brought into contact with 
the skin, produces blis- 
ters, and on account of 
this vesicatory property 
the dried beetles are 
largely used in medicine. 
In their earlier states the 
blister-beetles are para- 
sitic on grasshopper-eggs 
or in the cells of mason- 
bees. The imagosof many 
American species are of- 
ten very injurious to fleld- 
Ash-gray Blister-beetle (Mafrot-i- 
jis ctMerfti). (Vertical line show* 
natural size. ) , ft.male and female 
antennae, enlarged. 
and garden-crops. The 
developmentofthelarva, 
which assumes successively several forms, is very remark- 
able. See hinvrmetamorphosiit and Epicauta. 
or quality of being blissful ; exalted happiness : j^^J (blis'terd), p. a. Having the disease 
sun fol.n.t.v : fullness of lov. >> g^ Bee &*r, n., 5. 
blister-fly (blis'Wr-fli), n. A beetle, also known 
as the Spanish fly, used in blistering; one of 
- - - .v ,. ; the blister-beetles. See Cantharis. 
_ A subfamily of heteropterous insects, blistering (blis'ter-ing), a. and n. I. a. Cans- 
of the family Lj/gaifo, typified by the genus ^ or tiding to cause blisters. -Blistering fly. 
BUttua. See cut under chincn-buy. same as blMer-fy. 
IJ. n. Same as blister, 5. 
supreme felicity ; fullness of joy. 
God is all-sufficient and incapable of admitting any ac- 
cession to his perfect btiftgfulness. Barrow, Works, I. viii. 
Blissinae (bli-si'ne), H. j>l. [NL., < Blissia + 
cut under chinrli-bii;i. 
blissless (blis'les), a. [< bliss + -less.} Desti- 
merciful, kind; root uncertain: see 
bliss.]' I. a. If. Kind; kindly. Levins (1570). 
2. Glad: merry; joyous; sprightly; mirth- 
ful; gay: in colloquial use only in Scotland: 
as, "I'm blithe to see you." 
Ful blithe . . . was every wight 
Chaucer, Gen. Prof, to C. T., I 848. 
No Urk more blithe than he. 
Bictersta/, Love in a Village, I. 2. 
Hail to thee, if A spirit! 
Bird thou never wert 
Shelley, Ode to a Skylark. 
3. Characterized by or full of enjoyment; 
gladsome : said of things. 
O ! how changed since yon Mitli? night ! Scott. 
Blithe would her brother's acceptance be. 
Tennyson, Maud, x. 2 
In June 'tis good to He beneath a tree 
While the blithe season comforts every sense. 
iMi-rll, Under the Willows. 
=8yn. Cheerful, light-hearted, elated, buoyant 
il.t n. 1. A blithe one. 2. Kindness; 
goodwill; favor. 3. Gladness: delight, 
blithet (bliTH or blith), v. [ME. blithen (= 
OHG. bliden, rejoice, be blithe, = Goth, bleith- 
jam, gableithjan, be merciful, pity); from the 
adjj I. intrans. To be blithe or merry. 
n. trans. To make blithe ; gladden. 
The prince of planetig that proudely is night 
Sail brace furth his bemes that otire bclde blithes. 
York Plays, p. 123. 
blithe (bliTH or blith), adv. [< ME. blithe, 
blythe, < AS. blithe, adv., < blithe, a.: see 
blithe, a.] If. Kindly. 2. Gladly; blithely, 
blitheful (bliTH'- or blith'ful), a. [< ME. 
blitheful, blithfut, < blithe, n., kindness, favor (= 
Icel. blidha), + -ful.] If. Kindly. 2. Glad; 
joyous; joyful. [Poetic.] 
The seas with blitheful western blasts 
We sail'd amain. 
Greene and Lodge, Looking Glass for Loud, and Eng. 
[Samuel] Lover, a versatile artist, Uithrj'ul humorist 
and poet Steilman, Viet. Poets, p. 258. 
blithely (bliTH'- or blith'H), adv. [< ME. 
blitheliche, blcthely, -liche, etc., < AS. blitheliee 
(= OHG. blidlicho), < blithe + -lice : see blithe, 
a., and-fyS.] If. Kindly. 2. Gladly; joyful- 
ly ; gaily. 
bl'ithemeat (bliTH'- or blith'met), n. [8c., < 
blithe, glad, + meat.] The entertainment or 
refreshment provided at the birth or christen- 
of a child. [Scotch.] 
(bli'THen or -then), r. t. [< blithe, a.. 
+ -<?!. Cf. blithe, v.] To make blithe. [Bare.] 
blitheness (bliTH'- or blith'nes), n. [< ME. 
blithencAie, < AS. blithncs, < blithe + -nes : see 
blithe, a., and -ness.] The state of being blithe ; 
gaiety; sprightliness. 
The delightfulness and btithenea of their [poets'] com- 
positions. Sir A". Digby, On the Soul, ill. 
Legend told of his [Eadward's] pious simplicity, his 
Withrnetu and gentleness of mood. 
J. H. Green, Conq. of Eng., p. 7. 
blithesome (bliTH'- or blith'sum), a. [< Witt*- 
+ -some.'] Full of blitheness or gaiety : gay ; 
tute of bliss ; wretched ; hapless : as, "my bliss- blister-plaster (blis'tfer-plas'ter), n. A plaster merry ; cheerful ; causing joy or gladness. 
/,.-,- Lit " v'/,- /' ViV//>>/ \Ti"iiii"i M ~t w . . . ,; .1, I;.I L . . 1 . .. i .rn 11, 1 t.i v-ii<i> a 1ili<ti-T' fti.__ . ii , 
less lot," >S'ir P. Kidney, Arcadia, iii. o f Spanish flies, designed to raise a blister. 
blissom (blis'um), a. [< Icel. blaxma, in heat blister-steel (blis't6r-stel), n. Steel made by 
(said of a ewe or goat), = OD. blegme.'] In the carburization of bar-iron in a converting- 
heat, as a ewe. [Prov. En^.] furnace, the iron being heated in contact with 
blissom (blis'um), c. [< blissom, .] I. trans, charcoal. See cementation. After the conversion 
To couple with a ewe : said of a ram. Into steel, the bars become covered with blisters, some not 
On blithesome frolics bent Thornton, Winter. 
The rising sun, emerging from amidst golden and pur- 
ple clouds, shed his blithesome rays on the tin weather- 
cocks of Communipaw. Irving, Knickerbocker, p. 109. 
Charmed by the spirit alternately tender and bKUif- 
tome, of Procter's songs. Sfwm, Viet. Poeta, p. 110, 
